Make stewardship matter to the folks in the pew
Encourage your parish to answerthe urgent call to mission.
Photo from Photos.comYou have an urgent call. It must be returned immediately. This is not like the e-mail message that you’ve no doubt received from a friend or colleague marked only to find that the sender was simply being impatient. This call is not like that. Rather, it must receive a reply, now. It is a call to live as a disciple and steward and to foster living discipleship expressed in stewardship within your parish and the lives of parish members.
The U.S. bishops say it this way:
Jesus’ call is urgent. He does not tell people to follow him at some time in the future but here and now—at this moment, in these circumstances. There can be no delay. (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 14)
Earlier in the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship we read, “Once one chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, stewardship is not an option” (1).
Creating a sense of urgency
So what is this discipleship and stewardship of which our bishops speak, and what can we do to create a climate in which people respond to this urgent call of discipleship and stewardship?
In plain terms, discipleship is the act of following Jesus with one’s life. The decision to follow the Lord is not a once-in-a-lifetime event, of course. It is an ongoing process of learning to live as Christ would in the daily circumstances of life. “Each of us must discern, accept, and live out joyfully and generously the commitments, responsibilities, and roles to which God calls him or her” (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 13). Stewardship is the way of life in which this discipleship takes shape as we learn to be responsible caretakers of our lives, our possessions, all we have and are and will be.
Embracing stewardship as a way of life requires us to evaluate daily decisions in light of our faith. Creating a climate that encourages people to live as stewards requires a commitment to foster a living response to Jesus’ urgent call within the life of the parish. An atmosphere in which everyone is encouraged and equipped for this life of discipleship is essential to parish life. Consider the following principles as you begin or continue to foster discipleship and stewardship:
Foster a sense of belonging among all who come to the parish and develop that sense of belonging among members throughout the moments of their lives and stages of their faith. Those who have a deep sense of belonging to their parish are much more likely to invite others to parish events, serve in their communities, and give financially to their parish than those who do not feel they belong (Winseman, Albert L., Growing an Engaged Church, 39-43).
Experience deep conversion to Christ and create a climate in which everyone is given the opportunity to encounter and be drawn into life in Christ. Each of us must embrace lifelong transformation if we are really going to live as disciples of the Lord.
Faith meets life as the parish helps to equip people to live as disciples in the whole of their lives, in their home, workplace, neighborhood, and world. People are looking for ways to connect their faith with their lives in real and tangible ways.
Form people to fully, consciously, and actively participate in all of parish life as a sign and witness of Christ’s presence. People want to be engaged in a parish that values them and in which they perceive value through active participation.
Challenge parishioners to live gospel values as disciples of Jesus Christ and stewards of all they have, are, and will be. It is easy to hide from the demands of faith in Christ unless we face the call for living discipleship on a regular basis. In the words of stewardship leader Msgr. Robert Angelle, “preach the whole gospel.”
Become a parish in which every person is invited, encouraged, and expected to offer meaningful service within the parish and in their lives and that acknowledges the ways in which ministry is given. Finding ways to draw people into service that is meaningful provides a way for people to know that their contribution makes a difference.
Create a community in which parishioners care for one another and for those in need in the community and the world. Read Matthew 25:34-40 anytime you wonder about why creating such a community is important. TP
Three no-fail steps toward becoming a stewardship parish
Embrace stewardship as a way of life yourself. Take time each year to immerse parish leaders in the principles of discipleship and stewardship.
Discern a vision for your parish that has as its basis living discipleship and stewardship. Examine current parish practices in light of that vision, adjusting as necessary to consistently reflect the vision you have discerned.
Concentrate on the basics. Provide warm hospitality; prepare and pray the liturgy well; provide opportunities for adults to make real-life connections through faith formation; reach out in service in powerful ways; build a community that plays as well as prays together; remind people often that stewardship is a way of life through word and practice.
Tips for Forming Catechumens as Stewards
- Reflect on portions of the bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship with the catechumens and candidates. Help them examine their current life practices in light of Christ’s teachings on responsible stewardship. Share examples from your own life of how learning to be a better steward has changed you or your family.
- Go as a group to your parish ministry fair and later discuss the ways in which parishioners minister to each other and to those in need in your city or world.
- Determine an outreach focus for your group as a way developing lifelong patterns of living discipleship.
*This article appeared in the October 2007 issue of Today’s Parish.
Leisa Anslinger is the pastoral associate for faith formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the co-author of Forming Generous Hearts: Stewardship Planning for Lifelong Faith Formation (Twenty-Third Publications).
